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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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• Spam archive, Daily index
  

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

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Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• An email address listed inside this email has been used in a known fraud before.
• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "for your efforts, i am prepared to offer you " (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money)
  • "huge amount of money" (they want you to be blinded by the prospect of quick money)
  • "your urgent reply" (they are rushing you so you don't have time to think properly)
  • "the key word to this transaction is absolute confidentiality" (they don't want anyone to point out to you that this is a scam)
  • "is 100% risk free" (almost true for the criminal - arrests of online criminals are rare)
• This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.
  
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +27839680894 (South Africa, prepaid mobile phone)
• This email lists free webmail addresses. Use of such addresses is typical for scams. Lotteries, banks and any but the smallest of companies do not normally use such addresses. Criminals use them to anonymously send and receive email at Internet cafes.
  • ralgarba@alex4all.com (email address has been used in a known fraud before)

Fraud email example:

From: MR.RALPHAEL GARBA <ralgarba@yahoo.ca>
Reply-To: ralgarba@alex4all.com
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 20:51:37 +0200
Subject: FROM: MR. RALPHAEL GARBA


FROM: MR. RALPHAEL GARBA
TEL: +27-83-968-0894
FAX: +27-11-219-7201
Email: ralgarba@alex4all.com
URGENT AND CONFIDENTIAL
Dear Sir/ Madam,
My name is Mr. RALPHAEL GARBA, the son of Mr. ANTHONY D. GARBA, of Zimbabwe. It might be a surprise to you where I got your contact address; I got it from network on-line South Africa. During the current crises against the farmers of Zimbabwe by the supporters of our President Robert Mugabe to claim all the white owned farms in our country, he ordered all the white farmers to surrender their farms to his party members and their followers.
My father was one of the best farmers in the country and knowing that he did not support the president's political ideology, the president's supporters invaded my father's farm burnt down everything, shot him and as a result of the wounds sustained, he became sick and died after two days. And after his death, I with my younger sister and mother decided to move out of Zimbabwe for the safety of our lives to South-Africa.
BUT, before his death, HE WROTE HIS WILL, which reads "(MY BELOVED SON, I WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SUM OF (US$25,000,000,00)TWENTY-FIVE MILLION U.S DOLLARS WHICH I DEPOSITED IN A BOX WITH A SECURITY COMPANY IN JOHANNESBURG (SOUTH-AFRICA). IN CASE OF MY ABSENCE ON EARTH CAUSED BY DEATH ONLY". You should solicit for reliable foreign partner to assist you to transfer this money out of South Africa for investment purpose.
I deposited the money in your name and it can be proclaimed by you alone with the deposit code. Your mother has all the documents. Take good care of your mother and sister."
From the above, you will understand that the lives and future of my family depends on this money as much, I will be very grateful if you can assist us. I with my younger sister and mother are now living in South-Africa as POLITICAL ASYLUM SEEKERS and the financial law of SOUTH-AFRICA does not allow ASYLUM SEEKERS certain financial rights to such huge amount of money .In view of this, I cannot invest this money in South-Africa, hence I am asking you to assist me transfer this money out of South-Africa for investment purposes. For your efforts, I am prepared to offer you 20% of the total fund, while 5% will be set aside for local and international expenses and 75% will be kept for me and my family.
Finally modalities on how the transfer will be done will be conveyed to you once we establish trust and confidence between ourselves. Looking forward to your urgent reply.
For detailed information.
NOTE: THE KEY WORD TO THIS TRANSACTION IS ABSOLUTE CONFIDENTIALITY AND SECRECY. THIS TRANSACTION IS 100% RISK FREE. YOUR URGENT RESPONSE WILL BE HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
BEST REGARDS,
MR. RALPHAEL GARBA,
(FOR THE FAMILY).
NB. - REMEMBER THAT YOUR PRIVATE TELPHONE AND FAX IS NEEDED IN THIS TRANSACTION.

Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam